Intercessory Prayer (6)

Defeating Rabshakeh

We are taking a different spin this week. We are going to talk about intercession in the view point of fighting this demonic force. The key is always to give Jesus the glory and honor, but Jesus tells us

2 Corinthians 2:11 ESV

11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

As I was doing my research this spirit came across my path and it seemed that God really had me focusing on the passage in 2 Kings 18 and Hezekiah.

2 Kings 18:1–8 ESV

1 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). 5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. 7 And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. 8 He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

This is why this is important Hezekiah was doing everything right. God was showing me that this is something we are battling. I’ve been seeking God as to why we aren’t growing past the point, but God has also told me that there are some who are in the same battle I am in. So we need to understand the enemy.

Then in V 13 the Rabshakeh come on the scene.

Rabshakeh wasn’t a name it’s the highest position in the Assyrian and Babylonians royal courts. It’s translates to chief prince or chief cupbearer.

This Rabshakeh’s who goal was to discourage Israel from fighting. He stood before Hezekiah’s men and delivered a message full of half truths, boasts, and lies. He outwardly mocked Hezekiah’s plan to trust God. He accused Hezekiah of deliberately deceiving people, he promised them prosperity and land if they would follow him.

He used the Hebrew language to give these boasts so that he could get into the people’s heads despite being asked not to use their language and talk to the people. He even went as far as to utilize the Jewish people’s speech patterns as seen in

2 Kings 18:32 ESV

32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.”

We see this same battle in Isaiah 36:4

Isaiah 36:4 ESV

4 And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?

He intentionally got inside their head and mocked their faith, he scoffed at their size

Isaiah 36:8–10 ESV

8 Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 9 How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master’s servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 10 Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this land to destroy it? The Lord said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.” ’ ”

The key to this spirit is intimidation, power, and provision if you turn.

I’m going to give you three keys to fighting this spirit and in reality any spirit, but if you are in place where your head seems to coming against you. Where provision seems to be coming from outside of God- It may meet all your needs, but isn’t the avenue God is asking you to walk down, if you are fearful or intimitated by the road you’re being asked to walk than you might be fighting the Rabshakeh.

When Hezekiah followed these three steps This happened

2 Kings 19:35 ESV

35 And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

You are guaranteed victory if you follow God.

1. They stayed silent

Isaiah 36:21 ESV

21 But they were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.”

Not every voice needs to be answered.

Exodus 14:14 ESV

14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Psalm 46:7 TPT

7 Here he comes! The Commander! The mighty Lord of Angel Armies is on our side. The God of Jacob fights for us! Pause in his presence

I love this verse: Pause in his presence. This is a Christophany. It’s Jesus Christ present in the Old Testament. One of our greatest tools we have is the pause. In sales when you want someone to start changing their mind you don’t argue with them. You pause. You don’t say anything. You allow it to get real awkward. Silence makes things uncomfortable, but it’s also a power move. It speaks louder sometimes than a voice does.

2. They sought the Lord

Isaiah 37:1 ESV

1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord.

2 Kings 19:14–19 ESV

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 17 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands 18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 19 So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”

Hezekiah took his care before the Lord and when he came out of the prayer closet he was encouraged to give tehis speech

2 Chronicles 32:7–8 ESV

7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

So Hezekiah sought the Lord and then

3) Stood on His Promises

Isaiah 37:6–7 ESV

6 Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the young men of the king of Assyria have reviled me. 7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’ ”

God is faithful to answer. We then must stand on the promises of God.

But I want you to notice why Israel was saved through it all

Isaiah 37:21 ESV

21 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria,

Isaiah 37:35 ESV

35 For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

Because Hezekiah went to God in prayer first God defended His city.

Our job is to pray. Our job is to seek God. Our job is to push in. .The reality is that it doesn’t matter how big or little an army we have. What matter is how much are we praying? How much are we seeking the Lord?

Our Job out of all of this is to push into Jesus.

On Luke 8:14 the women interrupted Jesus’ mission to receive her healing. Jesus, wasn’t even aware she had a problem that needed his attention so how could she drain Jesus’ power? To stood on what authority she had been given. She understood who Christ was and knew if she could just get to Jesus all would be ok. She pressed in for her own healing and made it happen.

We can press into God and make things happen.

Lastly we run into Mary. These verses always confused me util they made sense. Jesus’ first miracle was at the wedding in Cana. Mary, noticing the wedding reception was running out of wine she stepped into action. It would have been a discrase for the family to have run out wine. We aren’t 100% sure why this is a problem. I did some research, but nothing really focuses on why the wine is important.

What I want to focus on tonight is Mary though.

Mary went up to Jesus and said they have no wine.

John 2:4 (ESV)

4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

Jesus obviously doesn’t want to do anything about the lack of alchahol. Now watch because this blows my mind. Mary makes no request of Jesus. She doesn’t ask His permission. She doesn’t double check to make sure it’s biblical or the will of God.

John 2:5 (ESV)

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

And she walks away. Here’s something Mary knew. She knew Jesus could do something. She wasn’t concerned about how it’ll get done, she just knew He could. She was armed with the faith. She hadn’t seen him preform miracles before. This is the first one. He hadn’t started his ministry yet. Up until now nothing is recorded. Mary alos knew tha tJEsus was God. Remember the angel came to her so she had to assume He could do something. She also knew that God chose Mary to mother him She would have had authority; even limited authority, but authority. She was mom. She knew her position. So she used her authority to put Jesus to work.

You made me your mother. You gave me this authority. So I am claiming what you gave me-Now move.

The women with the issue of blood. I know you can heal. I’m not waiting any longer. I am goin got grab ahold of what you promised. I don’t care if you are on assignment. I need to be healed. Now I will be the first one to tell you, I don’t know how all this works, but I do know God is in the healing business. I do know God is on the move so we are going ot bring people forward. if you need a touch from Jesus. Come claim a healing. receive from Jesus. Now is your season!